1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a collapsible stand, especially for books or other material, which are to be held in a convenient position for reading. Although below the device according to the invention is referred to as a book stand, it should be clearly understood that the stand can also be used for other purposes, e.g. for the storage or display of record albums or other substantially flat articles.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,795 to Dahlin discloses a book holder comprising a frame-like bottom plate. A divided support plate is rotatably connected to one side of the bottom plate, and a brace is rotatably connected to its opposite side. The upper end of the support plate is furnished with two cavities into which two pegs on the brace can be fitted to keep the support plate in its upright angled position for supporting a book. In the folded down position of the book holder, the support plate and the brace are coplanar with the bottom plate. The support plate and the brace are connected to the bottom plate by hinge pins. This holder must be made of fairly solid material to withstand the stresses to repeated use with the weight of heavy books tending to bend the outer sections of the arms of the support plate backwards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,435 to Roberts relates to a collapsible book support having tabs pivotally connected to the base. These tabs are holding the pages of a book on the book support in place when pivoted upwards. When the tabs are pivoted downwards into their respective cavities, they are coplanar with the base.
From U.S. Pat No. 3,411,741 to Nadler it is known to form a book rest in one piece in its flat configuration of a suitable plastic material, like polypropylene, utilizing a stamping or molding operation. The well known physical characteristic of polypropylene is used of forming integral hinges along lines of reduced thickness, which can be bent many times without fatigue failure. In its erected operative configuration various structural members are engaged by interlocking latch notches.